Europe will face consequences if Ukraine falls - French Foreign Minister
French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Stephane Séjourne (Getty Images)
The French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Stephane Séjourne, has urged Europe to stand firm in the face of the ongoing threat posed by Russia, according to TF1.
He emphasized the numerous consequences of Russia's victory over Ukraine for both France and Europe.
"If Ukraine falls, it will have numerous consequences, and I don't have much faith in the European Union and our ability to reach an agreement. Vladimir Putin is merely testing our solidarity with each other," the minister said.
He added that the European Union must avoid this scenario.
"Avoiding this scenario means, among other things, keeping a close eye on the situation in Ukraine with our allies, making bilateral agreements as we have done, and then helping the Ukrainians as much as we can," Séjourne said.
Wishing to "defeat Russia without going to war with it," the minister supported French President Emmanuel Macron, saying that it's about "adding strategic ambiguity to our actions."
He also reiterated that Russia cannot be allowed to act at its discretion.
"We are at a turning point that should compel us to confront Russia. These countries only see a balance of power, and we must play into this balance to protect the French and Europeans," the minister concluded.
Deployment of Western troops to Ukraine
French President Emmanuel Macron did not rule out the possibility of NATO deploying troops to assist Ukraine. The main problem, according to him, is the lack of consensus on this issue at present.
Several NATO countries have already opposed this idea, including Germany, Czechia, Bulgaria, Spain, and Italy.
However, there are countries willing to consider such a possibility, such as Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia.
Canada, also a NATO member, stated its readiness to send troops to Ukraine, but only for training Ukrainian defenders far from the front lines.
